Question 1

True or false: Esposito never won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.

Accepted Answer

False. He won the Hart Trophy twice, in 1969 and 1974, cementing his status as the league’s most valuable player in those seasons.

Question 2

True or false: Esposito was the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1968-69, Phil Esposito shattered records with 126 points, becoming the first NHL player to break the 100-point barrier.

Question 3

True or false: Phil Esposito invented the hockey slap shot.

Accepted Answer

False. The slap shot was used long before Esposito; it was popularized by players like Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion in the 1950s.

Question 4

True or false: Phil Esposito once scored 10 points in a single NHL playoff game.

Accepted Answer

False. His single-game playoff high was 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 1971. No NHL player has ever scored 10 playoff points in one game.

Question 5

True or false: Phil Esposito was traded from the Bruins to the Rangers in a blockbuster deal for Bobby Orr.

Accepted Answer

False. Esposito was traded from Boston to New York in 1975, but Bobby Orr was not part of the deal—it was a multi-player trade involving Brad Park.

Question 6

True or false: He once served as head coach and general manager of the New York Rangers simultaneously.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1986-87, Esposito was both head coach and GM of the Rangers, a rare dual role in NHL history.

Question 7

True or false: Esposito once credited a pre-game meal of steak and lobster for a 5-goal game.

Accepted Answer

True. After scoring 5 goals for the Bruins in 1971, Esposito joked that his pre-game feast of steak and lobster was the secret to his success.

Question 8

True or false: Phil Esposito was the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history when he retired.

Accepted Answer

True. Though he played center, Esposito retired in 1981 as the NHL’s all-time leading left winger in goals and points, due to his time on the wing early in his career.

Phil Esposito Trivia Questions